Be wary of 925 jewelry from China. Some wholesalers are touting that their listed plated jewelry is stamped “925”. For an example look HERE. Seabreeze Spinners always is careful to describe offerings. We would never list “plated” jewelry without clearly identifying the jewelry as “plate” or “layered over …”.

ALL OF THE JEWELRY posted on this site is 925 silver or even more refined. (The jewelry smiths of Napal & India at times employ silver that is more refined, that is, has more silver than sterling and is less likely to tarnish.)

Tropical Twister

The Sterling Silver Smokey Quartz Racelet show above is $70 (not the $175 of the Ross Simons Citrine bracelet) and the Sterling Silver Swirl & Square bracelet is $200 (not the $295 of the Ross Simons Onyx bracelet).

The copper chain is a GoodWill find. It was clasped so it would remain in the desired drape permanently and bedecked with charms from Michael’s.

The second necklace was created by combining a purchased chain (again Michael’s), a handmade viking chain, and a hand beaded strand from a pot of “bead soup” [more about that later].

The “charms” were afixed to the large link chain (left below) and then the other two strands were woven among the links (right below). The ends of the added strands were fastened (center below) to the large link chain and then a fastener was attached to the last links.

This is my first foray into Steampunk/Viking Knitting chain jewelry, my most recent obsession. First, I used a 1948 Hobby-Knit, which I found on eBay, to create the chain. (Hobby-Knits are in production again and available through “Knit It Now“.) Wire is trickier than thread. When working with wire, I worked without the plastic dome and tended to my stiches carefully. I also used more weight. I’d recommend working with 28 guage or finer uncoated wire.

The wire was then pulled, always the same direction, through a draw plate. Each time it was drawn through it was passed through a successively smaller hole. Wire is tough on finger tips; I’d recommend holding on with needle nose or other pliers.

Here are two finished, rather funky necklaces (to see larger images of any pictures on this site, first click on image and when you go to page with that alone, click again on the image to see a detailed image):

I’ve been following Jane Thornton’s blog and have been inspired to engage in some “free range knitting”. I’ve a combination of space dyed cotton, blue mohair, blue-green tape and handspun blue purple wool. More as this project developes.

its snowing just north of us in Tampa … its going to be a wild Florida winter. My current project is a simple olive silk and llama blend shawl. I’m headed to the local county fair this morning to drop off offerings for the craft show and then headed to the office to do taxes. Yes, I have a full day planned LOL.

For close up views, click one time on image in blog and then click one time on next image. To return to blog, back arrow two times.

Used hand spun beaded yarn to create top down beaded shawl. The yarn is wool and alpaca. The spinning process was described HERE and HERE in the blog. The beads are silver lined glass beads and antique Chec beads from an old lamp. I’d gotten an ounce of Momi fiber (wool, silk and glitter the color of sunset) from the Ashville fiber festival which I spun on the Trindle I’d purchased at the festival. Too little yarn for a project but worked great to provide an accent of colored lace.

And, an interesting aside. Lacy, my mostly border collie … just learned she has no discernable border collie DNA. Had her DNA run through Wisdom DNA thinking I’d learn border collie and what. (No blood is taken, cheek swab.) Learned she has only two breeds discernable: Austrailian Shepard (that fits) and Cocker Spaniel (didn’t see that one coming). It was great fun and splendid painful anticipation while waiting for the DNA results.

For close up views, click one time on image in blog and then click one time on next image. To return to blog, back arrow two times.

Completed the hand dyed, hand spun, hand knit lace shawl. The pinks blended nicely but to pick it up a bit I knit lace panels. The lace was knit from a bit of yarn previously spun. The yarn was a caliopi of colors but not enough for any project…but, a great accent. See the finished shawl below.

For close up views, click one time on image in blog and then click one time on next image. To return to blog, back arrow two times.

When I purchased the Norge Mongold Spindle, the seller packed it in space dyed roving. The roving was felted and wasn’t useable in its shipped state. I carded the felted dyed roving and then blended in tencil to create a soft, icy roving. I split the roving in half lengethways and then spun each half. I then carefully plied the resulting singles so that the resulting yarn slowly transitions from very subtle pink to vivid hot pink. I skeined the yarn, washed it and hung it to dry with weight. I then used a ball winder to create center pull yarn balls, being careful through out that skeins and balls were wound in sequence. I put a paper label in the center of each final ball with the sequence number so that as I knit, the yarn transitioned properly.

I wanted a pattern that would emphasize the changing yarn colors, a simple pattern that would compliment the texture of home-spun. I used the same pattern I had used for the Cheingora shawl

This is a lovely top down pattern that starts with 3 cast-on stitches and creates a chevron pattern for interest. (Instead of size 11, because this was finer yarn, I used size 9 needles.)

While searching the “net” this morning, after I had started the shawl I discovered a similar pattern by Janice Farrell Pea (CLICK HERE TO GO TO PATTERN)
I guess as they say, there is nothing new on the planet.

Aside from complimenting the home-spun and focusing attention on the transitioning colors, its a breeze to knit. I can sit and watch tv and not really have to think about my knitting. Because I can’t remember which side I’m on, the pattern side or the knit side, I used a safety pin on the face of the shawl to remind me which is the pattern side and to mark the center “k” pattern stitch. I put the pin through two stitches so it wouldn’t poke through on the back and confuse me. I move the pin up ever so often (5-6 inches) so it stays close to the active knitting.
Tropical Twister